The Art and Science of

InfluenceDaniel Crosby, Ph.D.

www.doctordanielcrosby.com

(256) 683-5551

Influence and YouMeeting client needs- “know your customer”

Maximizing client profits – prevent irrationality

Expanding existing portfolio

Client retention

Work smarter – runs deeper than “sales”

Getting buy-in from team members

Power and Responsibility“With great power comes great responsibility”

- Peter Parker

The things you will learn today are real and powerful.

Prisoner’s Dilemma

What is the best

communal outcome?

How does this play

out over time?

…if the other initially

confesses?

…if the other initially

remains silent?

RECIPROCATION

People return

kindness for

kindness, and malice

for malice

Transcends cultures,

allows us to build

societies

Client: “Thanks so much

for assisting me with

that, it was a huge help!”

You: ???

So What?

Add value without expecting return

Not dollar for dollar

Make the first move

Take action: Share your expertise, buy a cup of coffee,

pass along an article, make an introduction,

Choose OneWhich is the cubic zirconia and which is the true diamond?

SCARCITY

People want what

they cannot easily

have

People act with a

sense of urgency

when they perceive

opportunity slipping

away

Which is more persuasive?

“Acting on this will provide

countless benefits, such as…”

“Failure to act on this will be very

detrimental to what you’re trying

to do, for example…”

The Art of Scarcity

People are motivated by the rare but attainable

Making an idea, product, or behavior out of reach will

prompt dismissal

Be sure to “connect the dots” on how to get from here

to there

So what?

Financial barriers to entry

Highlight unique ideas and approaches

Make it time-sensitive

Keep it scarce but attainable

Concierge-limit number of clients

What do you better than anyone in the world?

AUTHORITY

Milgram Experiment

Son of Jewish refugees of

WWII

Wanted to examine

motivation of Nazi soldiers

65% compliance rate

90% compliance when

authorities disparaged

student

The Power of “Expertise”Would you choose a cardiologist with 5 or

20 years experience?

Would you choose a therapist with an

M.S. or a Ph.D.?

In teams – build one another up

Individually – humility and confidence

The Art of Authority

All products, services, and ideas have weaknesses

Individuals find experts who acknowledge weaknesses more credible

Immediately follow coverage of weaknesses with discussion of strengths

Promote believability and open the door for your strongest points to be heard

So What?

What qualifies you to handle my money?

Ground yourself in firm’s expertise

Match expertise to pain points

How can you build up others?

How can others build you up?

Do marketing materials reflect expertise?

COMMITMENT AND

CONSISTENCY

We want to be seen as

consistent

We want others to be

consistent – cognitive

shortcuts

We devalue other

decisions post-choice

Power of Commitment

Initial

Choice1 2 3 4 5 6

Commit 1 3 2 5 4 6

Amnesia 1 3 2 5 4 6

Foot in the Door

California housewives -five minute survey

Three days later – Can six men spend two hours rummaging through cupboards?

More than 2x as likely to consent

Power of Labels

Homogenous group with respect to grades and behavior

Randomly assigned as “poor,” “fair,” or “gifted”

Arbitrary category was the best predictor of final grades

Power of Labels

Rosenhan Experiment

12 subjects, 5 states

Hearing “thud”

All given Dx and Rx

Some incarcerated for months

Not a single subject was discovered by doctors

Discovered by fellow patients

So what?

Initial commitment is the hardest!

What committed clients might make a larger

commitment?

Determine a small initial commitment for

prospective clients.

Who do you want your clients to be?

How should you treat them as a result?

Asch Experiment

CONSENSUS

The Asch Experiment

Most people are followers

Another cognitive shortcut

“This is our most popular

dish.”

Leverage the Unseen

“They”

Influence the Influential

Hard truth: The merit of an idea does not

predict its adoption rate as well as its

adoption by influential others does.

John Lancaster invented a cure for scurvy

that took 200 years to catch on.

The most influential people in a group are

usually slightly more gifted than the

masses, but similar in other important

ways.

So what?

RS Funds – “Alignment with Clients”

Most popular offerings

Popular offerings for specific subsets

Narrative for similar clients

LIKING

We are most easily influenced by people…

…that we like.

…the we perceive to be like us.

What assumptions do you make?

Who do we like?Physically attractive – halo effect

People who pay us compliments – sincere or

otherwise

People who make us laugh

People with whom we share a common

struggle

Be a Detective of Personal

Brands

People “brand” themselves in myriad ways

Cars, clothes, haircuts, pictures, relics are all peoples’ attempts at being understood on their own terms

Find and build on similarities

Take an interest

So what?

Matching – beard, broker tie

Dress the part

Pay sincere compliments

Emphasize common struggles

Discover and build on common beliefs

Connect around common interests

Lived Learning System

“Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” –

Oscar Wilde

“If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you

cannot learn any other way.” – Mark Twain

Challenge: Apply learning by completing weekly

challenges over the next month and a half.